Traveling gets a little bit longer this week with Thanksgiving, and if you’re not ready to start listening to the Christmas music already playing on the radio, a podcast may be the way to go. Here are Northern Virginia Magazine‘s staff picks for you to stay entertained while traffic inches along.
Longform Podcast, Good Food, Where Should We Begin and Terrible, Thanks for Asking
I drive a lot—from the hour commute to the office to trips all around NoVA looking for good food—so I have a lot of different podcasts I listen to for all of my moods.
Being on brand, I love listening to both journalistic and food-based stories. Longform is interviews between journalists, talking about the craft of researching, reporting, writing and the business of being in the media. It’s also a hands-on lesson in how to get answers from interview subjects. (I love how co-host Max Linsky phrases and rephrases questions.) But you don’t have to be employed by a magazine to enjoy it: Try Lisa Brennan-Jobs’ interview as she talks about her dad, Steve Jobs, and her new memoir, Small Fry. [Longform Podcast]
For food, I’m still searching for my favorite podcast (and I’ve even asked other food writers for ideas), but recently I’ve liked Good Food by Evan Kleiman. Though she’s L.A.-based, she brings on big national headliners, most recently Carla Hall to talk about her new book about Southern and soul food. [Good Food]
Esther Perel is a genius-fairy godmother-best friend-mom-dad-grandmother-sister, etc. all the things you want from anyone. She’s a famous sex therapist and on her podcast she brings in a couple for a one-time session and it’s very raw and brutal and heart-wrenching and she just knows exactly what questions to ask and what delicate sentiment to say to try to help these two people. She’s magic. Check out “Ms. Entitlement and Mr. Sacrifice Out On a Date” for a wild ride. [Where Should We Begin?]
If you love to cry in the car like I do, Terrible, Thanks For Asking is the answer for those long, lonely nighttime drives. Host Nora McInerny has gone through a lot, and she shares her personal grief, as well as finds other people to talk about their worst days. It’s gripping, emotional, but also funny because McInerny finds the life and humor through trauma. Just start from the beginning with this one: “Sad Nora and the Secret Baby.” [Terrible, Thanks for Asking] -SG
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend & 30 for 30 Podcasts
Conan O’Brien is on an extended break from his TBS talk show as they make the transition from an hour-long to a half-hour format, but the longtime host is keeping busy with a new podcast that will see him talk with some of the funniest people in the entertainment industry. Up first is Will Ferrell.
However, there’s only one episode so far of that podcast, so for the rest of the time I’ll probably listen to ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcasts, which detail lesser-known but important moments in sports history. Recent episodes have focused on the first women who tried to run competitive marathons, the start of the poker craze and Hideo Nomo’s fight to become the first Japanese player in Major League Baseball. – MB
